Articles

History of the Krispy Kreme Donut Franchise Although it’s one of the smaller food franchises on the high street – the brand has 824 branches around the world, down from a peak of 987 in 2014 – Krispy Kreme is still a household name, especially among those with a …

History of the Burger King Franchise Although Burger King has never reached the global dominance and almost universal brand recognition of its main rival McDonalds, the fast food franchise chain is still a staple in many of the towns, cities and service stations across the country. In fact, the …

September 5, 2017Comments Off on Union claims win in Bank of England pay fight

A union has claimed “victory” in a pay dispute that resulted in three days of strikes at the Bank of England. Unite members in the Bank’s maintenance, parlours and security departments walked out at the beginning of August in protest at the imposition of a pay deal following the …

September 5, 2017Comments Off on Services slump a 'warning signal' for economy

Growth in the UK’s services sector slumped to an 11-month low in August – with the worst hit businesses including hotels, restaurants, cinemas, gyms and hairdressers, a survey reveals. Monthly purchasing managers’ index (PMI) data from Markit/CIPS UK Services showed weaker than expected growth in the industry with a …

September 5, 2017Comments Off on TSB lines up Meddings' return to UK bank role

A former‎ finance chief of Standard Chartered is being lined up as the next chairman of TSB, an appointment that would herald his return to a UK-based bank after a three-year absence. Sky News has learnt that Richard Meddings is in talks about joining the board of TSB, Britain’s …

September 5, 2017Comments Off on Lego to axe 1,400 jobs after drop in sales

Danish toymaker Lego is cutting 1,400 jobs – 8% of its global workforce – to counter a fall in US and European sales. The family-owned company with headquarters in Billund, Denmark, announced the move on Tuesday as it reported that net profits dropped by 3% to 3.4bn Danish kroner …

September 5, 2017Comments Off on Which countries trade with North Korea?

Donald Trump has said the US is considering stopping all trade with countries that do business with North Korea. But which countries trade with the most secretive and sanctioned country on earth? In 2015, North Korea imported goods and services worth a total of $3.47bn and exports were worth …

September 4, 2017Comments Off on Spoton Success: Meet Sarah Thompson, the local it’seeze website consultant for Coventry

Discover what the first few months of running your own web design franchise is really like in our interview with Sarah Thompson, who alongside her husband Clive, joined Spoton.net as a franchisee at the end of 2016. Having previously worked in a wide range of industries, including finance; telecommunications; …

Big news! After many years, we’re releasing an updated brand identity, which includes a new logo and colour palette. You’ll see the new look anywhere we’re out and about as well as on our digital media, website, Facebook and Twitter; and very soon you’ll see it on all of …

Wilkins Chimney Sweep, the UK’s only bfa member chimney sweeping franchise, is getting firmly behind a national safety campaign to reduce chimney fires. Part of the Government’s ‘Fire Kills’ campaign, www.chimneyfiresafetyweek.co.uk is asking homeowners to have their chimneys swept now, to reduce the 4221 avoidable chimney fires recorded by …

September 4, 2017Comments Off on MBNA chief ‎to lead Lloyds credit card drive

The boss of MBNA, the credit card business bought by Lloyds Banking Group, is to spearhead its new owner’s push for market share growth even as concerns mount over the wider consumer credit environment. Sky News has learnt that Elyn Corfield, who has been MBNA’s managing director since Lloyds’ …

September 4, 2017Comments Off on Should McDonald's be alarmed by UK strike?

On the face of it, a handful of workers going on strike at McDonald’s is no big deal. Some 40 workers – the company says it is actually only 14 – going on strike, out of a total UK workforce of 85,000, hardly seems earth-shattering. Only two of the …

September 4, 2017Comments Off on Construction growth slumps to one-year low

Construction activity slumped in August to its lowest level in a year. The monthly survey of purchasing managers (PMI) showed a significant decline in building works, with a reading of 51.1 for last month – down from 51.9 in July. The reading – the weakest overall UK construction performance …

September 4, 2017Comments Off on Party over? Young people 'turn away from Ibiza'

Ibiza’s reputation as a party destination for 20-somethings looks to be slowly changing as visitors to the Spanish island get older. Over the last five years, one in six bookings have shifted from those under 30 to the 30-39 age bracket, according to holiday company Thomas Cook. Millennials are …

A stall in the process to transfer major powers away from Whitehall to local areas is putting billions of pounds of investment and hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk, the Government has been warned. The Local Government Association (LGA) said the “devolution deadlock” on deals in the last …

September 2, 2017Comments Off on City star Buxton eyes £25bn Old Mutual buyout

One of the City’s leading fund managers is plotting a deal to buy out the £25bn asset management arm of Old Mutual, the Anglo-South African financial services group. Sky News can exclusively reveal that Richard Buxton, the former Schroders star who joined Old Mutual Global Investors (OMGI) four years …

September 1, 2017Comments Off on FRC sheriff Rees quits for lucrative City job

The watchdog responsible for slapping audit firms and accountancy professionals with tens of millions of pounds in fines is quitting to take a lucrative post with a City law firm. Sky News has learnt that Gareth Rees, who has served as executive director of enforcement at the Financial Reporting …

September 1, 2017Comments Off on Buy As You View crashes into administration

One of Britain’s biggest rent-to-own retailers has called in administrators, putting hundreds of jobs at risk and raising renewed fears about the wider health of the sector. Sky News has learnt that the parent company of Buy As You View has appointed the professional services firm EY as administrator …